Connecting communities – reviving Swan Hill heritage bridge

We are playing an important role in advising Transport for NSW on replacing the heritage-listed Swan Hill Bridge with a new moveable bridge that seamlessly connects two communities for decades to come.

A rare opportunity to reconnect communities

Transport for NSW (TfNSW), in partnership with the Victorian Department of Transportation, is planning to replace the 126-year-old lift-span bridge over the Murray River between the border towns of Swan Hill in Victoria and Murray Downs in NSW - known as the Swan Hill Bridge.

The original single-lane bridge has heavily deteriorated over time and has a limited remaining service life. Accordingly, TfNSW’s Timber Truss Bridge Conservation Strategy has nominated Swan Hill bridge for replacement. This presents a rare opportunity to reconnect the communities with a modern bridge that will provide safe and reliable journeys for locals and visitors, and further support freight and infrastructure in the immediate and surrounding regions. WSP was engaged by TfNSW to develop suitable moveable span concept designs for four difference road alignments.

Multinational expertise

WSP’s global reach enables us to draw on international moveable bridge expertise across Australia and North America, complimented by our local multi-disciplinary teams.

Our team included Hardesty & Hanover, a moveable bridge specialist, and Dissing + Weitling, bridge architecture specialist. We also drew on the expertise of our North American moveable bridge team to review and advise on the design, ensuring a robust solution.

Locally, our Digital Engineering team provided 3D modelling for the design options. The models not only provided a better understanding of the proposed moveable span and alignment options within the site context, but also allowed for embodied carbon assessment and the quantity extract for cost estimating, undertaken by North Projects.

The solution

Our strategic design identified preferred moveable span types for four different road alignments/crossings that have the following benefits:

Two lanes for two-way traffic movement
A shared user path
Pedestrian and disability access
Capacity for Higher Mass Limit (HML) and High Productivity Freight Vehicles (HPFV)

We worked collaboratively with TfNSW and their subject matter experts to develop a decision-making matrix and ranked common moveable span bridge types against each criterion. From this process, we identified several moveable span types that were suitable.

From the several types of feasible moveable spans identified, we reduced the number of options down to two preferred types and further developed them to a strategic design level for each of the four alignments. We also provided TfNSW with advice around the design development and operation and maintenance of moveable spans.

Anticipating community needs

The project is committed to working closely with the community to develop an appropriate way to recognise the history of the bridge and its importance to the region. Our proposal includes a sustainability assessment that considers the embodied carbon of infrastructure assets on the four moveable bridge options. With this preliminary advice, TfNSW will take WSP’s proposed options to develop the Business Case and engage in community consultation.